Osage County Cattlewomen and the OSU Extension Office teamed up last Friday to help fifth and sixth grade students at the Wynona Elementary School understand the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.

Using the theme “Circles in the Landscape,” students learned about irrigation systems and the role they play in agriculture by helping plants grow with minimal rainfall. Using a pop bottle and mason jar, each of the 18 students made a rain gauge.

Jantzen said, “We took their gauges outside and turned on the sprinkler which represented an irrigation system. The rain gauge represented their crops. We let the sprinkler run for two minutes and took notes of how much water each gauge collected.”

Next, Jantzen changed the setting on the sprinkler to represent changes in weather. She explained farmers take risks when planting crops because of so many unknown factors, such as the weather.

Once the project was completed, the class identified the circumference, diameter and radius of their irrigation systems. During the wrap-up evaluation, the students noted the correlation between irrigation systems and crops and how agriculture is important to Oklahoma’s economy.

Jantzen said she chose this lesson because “It is important for our young people to understand how agriculture relates directly to them. Farmers and ranchers work hard to produce plants and beef animals.”

She explained agriculture provides food, clothing and numerous byproducts for everyday life. Ag in the Classroom enables this message to get out to the students.

Jantzen may be reached at the OSU Extension Office, 628 Kihekah, 2nd Floor, or by phone at 918-287-4170.